The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-06
Buying VS.. Raising Strawberries.

Talking with small-fruit grower, not
long since, who sells his berries largely
to farmers in his vicinity, he spoke of
selling them also good many plants
has about as much income from their
sale as from berries. I" Are you not
afraid" l asked, "that the farmers
will soon raise their own berries if you
sell them plants, and thus cut off your
market?" " Bless you, mol" he replied.
Don't you know that not one farmer
in ten who sets out plants will ever
pick any berries to amount to any,
thng?" Now this is the point. 1t
may be, as Mr.. Brown says, that " the
raising of a supply is as simple and
easy as the growing of potatoes" but
Mr.. Mathew Crawford, who is high au-
thority, told me yesterday he intends
giving up all other kinds of small fruits
and devote attention to strawberries
alone, in order to do his best with
them. This should be a discourager
to the common farmer with forty irons
in the fire. Years ago | set out nice
lot of plants. l did five times the
work on them did on the potato patch
in my garden, but never got the cost
of the plants back in berries.
didn't know how?" Yes; or else l
didn't do so well as | knew. And
am reminded of the exclamation of
Professor Hosford: eff grass would only
grow in the field where l sow it as it
does in my strawberry bed" My next
neighbor bought strawberry plants sew
eral times, but some way he never had
berries to amount to anything. The i'm
| &c hot hnr 10 fa ~.
will care for his plants all through the
season. Where he is situated so he
can buy from grower nice fresh ber-
ries | believe, as a rule, he had bet
ter do it, He can make the money
easier in his regular business. For
years we have bought our berries as
regularly as our flour. 1t takes about
five bushels year. A load of potatoes
will pay for them, and potatoes are
right in my line. | have tools and con-
veniences for raising them at the low
est cost. But if one will raise enough
strawberries to amount to something,
so that he can afford to study up and
give his time to them, that is another
matter. President j. M. Smith of
Wisconsin has the honor of having
raised, | think, the largest crop on
record-four hundred forty-siX bushels
per acre. Last year it was very dry,
and of course bad for strawberries, but
he sold from three and one-half acres
plants and berries to the amount of
S2,515, and then plowed the plants I'M
der and raised and sold from the same
land cabbages and celery to the value
of 500. This is the way the business
pays in the hands of one of the very
finest growers in the United States. A
single acre brought in about as much
money as four hundred-acre farmers
handle in year. After four days
visit with Mr.. Smith | made up my
mind that the business is not quite so
simple and easy as growing potatoes
at any rate, l do not think the farmer
who is full of other business will sue
coed at it so well as with the potatoes.
There is, however, one way that many
farmers might make it pay-namely
those who have grown-up daughters at
home who want to be doing something,
Take a quarter or half-acre of rich
land. Have it in long, narrow strip.
Get the girls some good plants and
books and papers on the subject, and
let them have sole control and pocket
the money. Two or three farms in a
town might contain such patch and
the surplus would soon find ready sale
among the neighbors. A quarter-acre
ought to raise forty bushels of choice
berries, which might bring Sl00-a
nice thing for the girls. 1t would
teach them business. 1t would helr
make them healthy. 1t would be nice
for the family. They would have lots
of friends once year, any way
Choice plants need not cost more than
&c. The girls could do all the rest
only they would want the man to cult
vate the patch a few times early in the
season. / have two daughters, anC
have given them the choicest quarter
acre on the farm and engaged the
plants. Come and see us year from
next June.-T. b. Terry, IN Tribune.